Windmill-tower



(No Model.)

C. B. PUTNAM. WINDMILL TOWER.

No. 406,470. Patented my 9, 1889.

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UNITED STATES PATENT QEEicE.

CHARLES B. PUTNAM, OF MARION, IO\VA.

WINDMILL-TOWER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters'ratent No. 406,470, dated July 9, 1889'.

Application filed June 4, 1888. Serial No. 275,997- (ll'o model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES B. PUTNAM, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Marion, in the State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Windmill- Towers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the upper termi* nals of iron windmill-towers, including the turn-tables or swivels upon which vertical wind wheels turn to keep the face of the wheel opposed to the direction of the wind.

The primary object of the invention is to so unite tubular corner-posts at the apex of a skeleton tower as to fasten each in place to keep the tower from becoming twisted by torsional strain, and by the same means to form a solid and easily-adj usted turn-table. Additional objects of the same are to stifen the corner-posts, and b'y the same means in part to form a second bearing for a pivot of any required length, and to fasten down the wheel-frame or main casting upon the turntable.

The invention consists in certain novel oombinations of parts whereby the above-named objects are accomplished, as hereinafter described and claimed.

A sheet of drawings accompanies this speciication as part thereof.

Figure l of the drawings is an elevaon of the upper terminal of an iron windmill-tower with a vertical wind-wheel mounted thereon. Fig. 2 represents an axial vertical section of that portion thereof to which thisinvention relates. Fig. 3 represents ahorizontal section on the line 3 3, Fig. 2, with parts at the plane of section shown in elevation. Fig. 4 represents a horizontal section on the line 4 4, Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 represents a top view of the turntable casting.

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

My improved wind-wheel tower comprises converging tubular corner-posts A, of gaspipe,which may be four in number, as shown, or three, five, or more, as desired. The upper ends of these posts are bent somewhat, so as to be approximately .vertical and parallel with each other, and are united by an annular turn-table casting B, having a vertical cell c, fitted to each post end in its appropriate position, and corresponding drilled and tapped bosses d, provided with set-screws e, by which the post ends are fastened in place, Above the cells c a circular turn-table f is formed upon the casting B, and upon this turn-table the pivotal surface of the wheel-frame or main casting C is seated. Said casting C is preferably cast upon the upper end of a tub ular pivot D, of gas-pipe, two feet long, (more or less,) which projects downward through the centrallopening of said annular casting B, and is provided with a clamp-collar E beneath another annular casting F, which embraces the pivot near its lower end. The collar E is held in place by one or more setscrews. g, and in turn affords vertical support to the casting F, which eoacts therewith to hold the wheel-frame casting upon its seat. The casting F has radial arms h with indented ends corresponding with the respective posts, which are clamped against the same by an external band G, embracing the several posts, as seen in Fig. 3. The band is driven downward upon the inclined posts until the casting F is tightened in an effective position, and may beA somewhat' above or below the latter without impairing its efficiency.

The cellularportion of the casting B is preferably cut away between the cells c, as shown in Fig. 4, to lighten' it, while its turn-table f is circular, as aforesaid, and is provided with concentric raised rings, as shown in Fig. 5; but these and other like mechanical details, together with details of shape and proportion, which are not essential to the described functions of the respective parts, form no part of converging corner-posts.

Having thus described my said improvement in windmill-towers, Iclaim as my invention and desire to patent under this specificationl. In combination with a superposed Wind- Wheel frame turning in a horizontal plane and having a depending pivot, an annular turn-table casting having vertical cells open at loot-tom and corresponding drilled and tapped bosses provided with set-screws, and converging oorn er-posts having vertical upper extremities fastened in the respective cells 'by said set-screws, substantially as hereinbefore specified. y

2. The Combination, in a Windmill-tower, of converging corner-posts having vertical upper extremities, an annular turn-table Casting having vertical cells litted to said post 

